Massive Recalls Leave Many Car Owners Trading in or Selling for Cash

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The high number of automotive recalls in 2014 has caused huge delays from service centers, leaving hundreds of thousands of drivers struggling to keep their cars on the road. Eric Rienzie, owner of the NY-based cars-for-cash outfit Sell Your Car for Cash, comments on how the stream of automotive recalls has affected his business in 2014.

Bohemia, NY (PRWEB)May 16, 2014

With auto manufacturers recalling cars at a record pace — GM alone has recalled 13 million worldwide so far in 2014, according to a May 15th, 2014 article from CNN — vehicle owners are being left high and dry. General Motors' major series of recalls, in particular, is turning out to be good business for dealers; General Motors will be paying them to fix up to six million vehicles recalled so far this year, according to the CNN article. Mercedes, BMW and other manufacturers are also recalling hundreds of thousands of cars in 2014 for various safety problems, according to the author of the CNN article.

According to an April 23rd, 2014 article by the LA Times, the many recalls “look to have a silver lining for GM dealers — millions of dollars in lucrative repair bills that their service departments can charge back to the nation's biggest automaker.” Smart dealers will actively market recalls by calling up customers, says the author.

Eric Rienzie, owner-operator of Sell Your Cars for Cash, a cars-for-cash firm servicing all of New York state and surrounding areas, has been affected by the situation in unexpected ways. The company buys cars of any year, make and model, with any amount of mileage and in any condition, including motorcycles, snowmobiles, boats and all-terrain vehicles. Frustrated vehicle owners can get an instant quote from the company's website.

As owners receive recall notices for safety issues, they're left with the choice of continuing to use the car – taking their own life and the lives of others in their hands – or dealing with potentially excruciating service delays to get the problem fixed.

Rienzie says that the high number of recalls has actually caused a surge in his business. “Many of my customers from this year and last are drivers who are simply sick of constantly dropping their car off at the shop, or who try to take it to the shop and are turned away,” he said. “They just get fed up. Many people buy a vehicle, not in good faith, but after doing a lot of careful research. And then before they know it, they find themselves constantly in and out of the service department because they don't feel like they have much of a choice.”

Recalls are at such a high that many dealerships can't maintain the inventory to perform the needed fixes. “People try to take their car in, and the parts are on backorder, or there's some other issue that causes huge delays,” said Rienzie. “You end up with a two-ton paperweight in your driveway. Most of us can't just suddenly decide to keep our vehicles off the road. It's crucial to our livelihood. So a lot of people in this situation, when they can't trade the car in for whatever reason, have turned to us – not because they particularly wanted to sell their car, but because they have a problem we can take off their hands, and quick. They usually walk away with enough cash for a down payment on a new car.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, consumers are entitled, under the law, to be provided “a remedy within a reasonable time” when a recall is issued. However, there is no provision that describes what amount of time can be considered “reasonable” – and consumers have no legal recourse if they're left waiting too long. The Administration's ability to police and regulate the automotive industry has been the focus of congressional hearings into General Motors' recent recall of nearly 3 million cars because of a deadly defect in the ignition switch, according to a May 7 article from The Guardian.

Our mission is to ensure complete customer satisfaction and give you the highest price for your car. The staff at Sell Your Car For Cash are friendly, knowledgeable, and experienced automotive professionals. We buy any year, make or model in any condition. We are fully insured, bonded, and licensed by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. We are also proud members of the Better Business Bureau and the State and National Independent Automobile Dealers Associations.